Archive record · Brewery
Copland Brewing Co. (Toronto)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Founded
- Not recorded
- Closed
- 1970
- Archive ID
- TB-9Q0EQZ9M
- Last checked
- 2026-09-24
Who owns this brewery?
The archive is still digging. That is a gap in the research, not a finding of independence.
Know who owns it? Tell us, and we will correct the record.
Tally Answers Beta
- Who owns this brewery?
- Labatt Brewing Company Limited (since 1946)Verified
From the record
Summary
Status: CLOSED. Address: South-east corner of Derby and Parliament streets, Toronto — historical brewery site; now Toronto Police Service 51 Division. City of Toronto establishes an early Copland brewery, closure by 1915, 1927 revival under William Simon Brewery, 1946 Labatt acquisition and final 1970 closure/demolition. Final owner/operator at closure is Labatt. [Canada Pass 101] FILLED 2026-09-24: the two accounts of the founding and of the Labatt year (1945/1946) are both kept; closed 1970. Not a Canadian Breweries acquisition.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Ownership & corporate history
- Acquired by William Simon Brewery1927 – 1946
Partly settledCurrent evidence supports this, but the record is not fully resolved.
What the sources say
William Simon Brewery of Buffalo purchased and reopened Copland in 1927. Source: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/online-exhibits/web-exhibits/web-exhibits-culture-people/made-in-toronto-whiskey-and-beer/
- Acquired by Labatt Brewing Company Limited1946
What the sources say
Resolves held claim HOC-0393 ("ACQUIRED / OWNED"). Labatt's first-ever acquisition, doubling its brewing capacity. Copland had been bought by Buffalo's William Simon Brewery and reopened under its own name in 1927; Labatt ran the Toronto plant until 1970, then opened Etobicoke and the buildings came down.
Ownership history is kept as dated events, so a change of owner never overwrites the one before it.
Events
- The original Copland brewery had closed by 1915.1915
Closure
Followed by 1927 revival.
- William Simon Brewery purchased and reopened the brewery under the Copland name.1927
Identity discontinuity preserved.
- Labatt acquired the Copland operation.1946
Labatt operated it to 1970.
- Labatt ceased operating Copland after opening its own Etobicoke facility; buildings were demolished.1970
Closure
Owner at final closure resolved as Labatt.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1830The Coplands — two accounts of the start
The City of Toronto's exhibit: "Established in the 1820s by a Mr. Copland, with his son William Copland eventually taking over before selling in 1882", on a five-acre site at the south-east corner of Derby and Parliament. Black Creek's history note: William Copland began in the 1830s on Yonge Street and opened an East Toronto Brewery at 55 Parliament Street in 1847. Founding year and founder's name: left open.
- 1915Closed
"Despite its successes, Copland's closed its doors by 1915".
- 1927Reopened by a Buffalo brewer
"In 1927, the brewery was purchased by the William Simon Brewery of Buffalo, NY and reopened under its familiar Copland name." Brands attested: Pale Ale, Half and Half, Budweiser, XXX Porter, Special Brewed Ale, Tonic Stout, Red Ribbon Beer, Pat's Ale, Copland's Stock Ale.
- 1946Labatt's
"In 1946, this enterprise was bought out by Labatt's." (Black Creek gives 1945.) Never part of E. P. Taylor's Canadian Breweries: the Canadian Breweries account does not mention it.
- 1970Closed under Labatt's
"Labatt's continued to operate Copland's until 1970"; "the site is occupied by Toronto Police Service's 51 Division".
The People
Behind the beer
Help keep this record
Do you hold a piece of Copland Brewing Co. (Toronto)'s history?
A photograph, a label, a bottle, a ledger, a newspaper clipping or a family story. Send it through the tray: if it checks out, the record is corrected and you are credited on it.
Share what you know →